Hi, I am long time user of E-1/3/5, used this cameras for all my shooting including travel and holiday. For my last trip to China I bought PEN E-P2, for my last holidays in Greece XZ-1 + UW housing ... and almost completely stopped using E-5 (or my treasured E-1s:-). Yestarday I decided to take the E-5 out and prepare it for my weekend assignment (aikido seminar and rock concert), shot few pics of my GF ... OMG, what a camera! Specially with all the lenses I collected over time it is IMHO unbeatable setup for overall photography. My PEN - now E-P3 - is neat, can accommodate my Summicron M 50/2, XZ-1 is small pocketable wonder - but E-5 is simply a lot higher league. Now I am curious, how it will compare to the new OM-D E-M5. I am sure, the new baby will be great, but like IMHO all m4/3 cams will be lacking the great 4/3 lenses ... What do you think?
--
pka
http://www.karlach.net/

I think what I have thought all along: making direct comparisons of PEN cameras to Ex series cameras is simply wrong, except in the most general terms. They are intended for differing situations and personal expectations of the photographer. A lot of bandwidth has been wasted on this forum by people mistakenly thinking that PEN, and now the OMD, are presently intended to replace Ex.

I find it bemusing that 30 years ago, no one questioned it if a pro or serious photographer used 35mm slrs, 35mm rangefinders, and MF gear to make sure he could handle the various situations and requirements he faced in producing images. Nowadays, however, some folks seem fixated on one-size-fits-all, either or gear solutions. Photographers who are truly intent on getting the best possible shots have always known this approach isn't possible. Why is there an expectation for this to change now?

I also think that people need to understand that new product lines are works in progress, especially when relying on new technology. 50 years ago, as 35mm slrs were in their infancy and new tech was being tried out, there were many of the same concerns. Some rangefinder users and medium format users found plenty of fault with cameras such as the Pentax Spotmatic, Nikon F and other "first generation" 35mm slrs. Interestingly, many of their criticisms are the very much like those being made about the OMD vs Ex, or vice versa.

-- hide signature --

Some people operate cameras. Others use them to create images. There is a difference.